Bass was signed to a contract by Quincy Jones in 1980 at 19 years old.

He co-wrote the song "Lose Yourself," alongside Eminem, which won the Oscar for Best Original Song at the 75th Academy Awards. The song was featured in the film 8 Mile, which starred Eminem in his movie debut. Eminem and Bass previously shared a Grammy Award for 1999's Best Rap Album, The Slim Shady LP. Bass was also the speaker in "Public Service Announcement" and "Public Service Announcement 2000" (from The Slim Shady LP and The Marshall Mathers LP respectively), two tracks that serve as introductions to the albums they are featured in.